

Lost Debate
The Branch
Lost Debate is a weekly podcast from The Branch that brings you news, ideas, and arguments from around the political spectrum. We engage in the good-faith discussions that too much of our society and media miss. It's hosted by Ravi Gupta, a former Obama staffer turned school principal.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 1, 2022 • 55min
Ep 97 | SBF, China Protests, Inequity in Special Ed
Ravi and Rikki start with the latest fallout from the spectacular downfall of FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried. The hosts then turn to the historic anti-lockdown protests in China with Pulitzer-winning journalist Ian Johnson and some startling inequities in New York City’s special education system.[3:37] SBF[15:08] China Protests[36:36] Inequity in Special Education[49:430 VoicemailsSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/12/02/ep-97/Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Nov 29, 2022 • 56min
Ep 96 | Qatar World Cup, T-Swift & Ticketmaster, Isolation Epidemic
Ravi and Rikki start with all the moral relativism coloring this year’s controversial World Cup in Qatar, before opening their hearts to the many Swifties burned by Ticketmaster’s latest monopolistic debacle. The hosts then turn to the isolation epidemic facing America and what can be done to stem social disconnection.[0:27] Intro[3:58] World Cup[27:28] Ticketmaster[36:15] Loneliness[50:18] VoicemailsSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/11/30/ep-96/Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Nov 17, 2022 • 1h 9min
Ep 95 | Ransomware, Education in the Midterms, Debt from Dating, Ukraine Interview
Ransomware attacks are on the rise. Rikki and Ravi share where the attacks are coming from, laws put in place to combat them, and how to protect yourself from one. The hosts then take a look at which party – if either – won the education culture war based on midterm election results. That’s followed by a conversation about an inconspicuous activity driving more young people into debt these days: dating. We wrap up with an interview on where things stand in the Russia-Ukraine war with Anatol Lieven, Director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. [5:08] Ransomware[18:44] Education in the Midterms[32:47] Debt from Dating[41:20] Ukraine Interview - Anatol Lieven[1:03:30] Listener voicemailsSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/11/18/ep-95/Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Nov 16, 2022 • 58min
Ep 94 | Midterm, FTX, Dot-com Bubble 2.0, Salary Transparency Laws
Ravi and Rikki analyze the final results of the 2022 midterm and how both parties are assessing their performance. They then delve into the remarkable rise and fall of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and its enigmatic founder, Sam Bankman-Fried. That’s topped off by a discussion about struggling tech companies, and whether we’re on the cusp of the next dot-com bubble. Finally, the hosts take a look at a new pay transparency law in New York City and what it means for employees and employers.[2:55] Midterm Reactions[11:18] FTX Troubles[34:56] Dot-Com Bust 2.0[48:38] Salary TransparencySubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/11/16/ep-94/Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Nov 10, 2022 • 1h 8min
Ep 93 | Midterm Election Reactions
Ravi and Rikki dive deep on their reactions to the 2022 midterms, setting out what we know vs. what’s still up in the air, which issues drove voters, which states surprised us, the importance of split-ticket voters this year, and what comes next for both political parties, including the stage now set for a big Republican showdown between FL Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump.[0:55] Intro[5:34] Midterm Analysis[39:00] Carlos Curbelo[52:05] Tara McGowanSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/11/11/ep-93-midterm-election-reactions/Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Nov 9, 2022 • 17min
Top 10 Midterm Takeaways
Ravi stayed up on election night to put together a quick midnight recap of all the big takeaways from the 2022 midterms. Not everything will hold by tomorrow, but here are the top 10 things you should know about the surprising early returns from a strange cycle, including who's winning the key races for Senate, House, and Governor around the country. Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Nov 3, 2022 • 1h 7min
Ep 92 | Senate Forecast, Student Homelessness, Nevada Midterms
Ravi and Rikki start with an overview of where things seem to be heading in Tuesday’s midterm elections, forecasting some key Senate races all over the country. Then the hosts turn to a pressing education crisis hidden in plain sight – rising student homelessness – and discuss its causes and possible solutions. Finally, we sit down with the Nevada Independent’s Jon Ralston to preview the high-stakes midterm races in the Silver State.[3:02] Senate Forecast[21:10] Student Homelessness[42:33] Nevada Midterms InterviewSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/11/04/ep-92/Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Nov 2, 2022 • 1h 9min
Ep 91 | Elon’s #FreeBird Twitter, Trouble In The Metaverse, Arizona Midterms
Ravi and Rikki start by briefly discussing the oral arguments before the Supreme Court that could decide the fate of affirmative action: the topic of our latest episode of the Regressives. Then the hosts turn to Elon Musk’s first week at the helm of Twitter, why Meta’s full-throttle investments in the Metaverse have investors in crisis mode, and an interview with two reporters from the Arizona Republic on the hugely consequential midterm races there.[0:38] Intro[6:31] Elon’s Twitter,[27:12] Trouble In The Metaverse,[41:33] AZ MidtermsSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/11/03/ep-91/Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Oct 30, 2022 • 1h
The Regressives Ep. 8 | A Funeral For Affirmative Action
By all expectations, affirmative action is about to be a thing of the past. In a pair of landmark college admissions cases before the Supreme Court, a newly conservative majority is all but certain to roll back a major pillar of American life since the Civil Rights movement. Through talking to the plaintiffs in those cases, activists, legal experts, academics, and everyone in between, we revisit the history of affirmative action, how it was borne out of a desire to redress inequality, and why progressives are loath to acknowledge how it came to exacerbate the discrimination it sought to solve.Subscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate

Oct 27, 2022 • 59min
Ep 90 | Kanye & Antisemitism, Trigger Warnings, Georgia Midterms
Ravi and Rikki start with the latest fallout from Kanye West’s recent antisemitic rants, including this week’s decisions by companies like Adidas, GAP, and Balenciaga to sever their ties with the embattled rapper. Then the hosts move on to a wide-ranging discussion about trigger warnings: where they came from, where they’re appropriate and where they aren’t, and exactly how helpful they seem to be. Finally, we wrap up with an interview on all the dynamics at play in the Georgia midterms with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Greg Bluestein.[1:40] - Elon's Latest Tweets[6:04] Can Kanye Come Back From This?[24:22] - Trigger Warnings Gone Too Far?[40:27] - Latest in GA midterms with Greg BluesteinSubscribe to our channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTFSubscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570Check out our show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2022/10/27/ep-90/Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debateiheart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debateLOST DEBATE ON SOCIAL:Follow Lost Debate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebateFollow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelostdebate


